Create a Weighted Total Column
Creating a Weighted Total Column in Blackboard
The Blackboard Grade Center allows you to set up weighted totals in which you can specify the percentage of the total grade that columns and/or categories will be worth.
1. LOG INTO BLACKBOARD
Log into Blackboard Learn through learn.kent.edu or through Flashline.
2. ENTER YOUR COURSE
Click on the name of your course to access it.
3. ACCESS THE FULL GRADE CENTER
In the Control Panel, click to expand the Grade Center section. Then click the Full Grade Center link.
4. SET UP AND ASSIGN GRADE CATEGORIES
If you plan to weight grades by category (e.g. the average grade of all tests = 50% of the total grade), you must first set up and assign categories. If you plan to weight only by individual columns (e.g. Test 1 = 25% of the total grade), skip to Step 5.
For instructions on how to set up and assign grade categories, view the Manage Categories guide.
5. CREATE OR EDIT THE TOTAL WEIGHT COLUMN
Locate the Weighted Total column in the Grade Center. Click the Action Link (drop-down arrow) in the column heading, then select Edit Column Information from the menu.
If you do not have a Weighted Total column, create one by clicking Create Calculated Column > Weighted Total.
6. NAME COLUMN
Required: Fill in the column name. You can also add an optional shortened Grade Center display name to appear as a column heading, and an optional description to appear on your students' My Grades page.
7. SET DISPLAY TYPE
Required: Select primary and secondary display types (whether you want the grade to display as a percentage, letter, etc.). The primary display is visible to instructors and students; the secondary display is only visible to instructors.
8. SELECT NAME OR CATEGORIES
In the Select Columns section, you will specify how Blackboard will calculate the weighted grade. Click on the names of the columns and/or categories you want to use in the calculation (left pane). Then click the > button to pop them over into the Selected Columns section (right pane).
9. SPECIFY PERCENTAGES
Once you have selected your columns/categories, enter the desired percentages in the boxes for each column/category on the right. The total weight below should add up to 100%.
Note: When using categories, you can weight equally (apply equal weight to each item in the category regardless of point values) or proportionally (apply value to a column based on its points compared to other columns in the same category).
Note: You can drop the lowest grade(s) in a category by selecting Drop Grades and typing in the number of grades to drop in the field provided. If you do not type anything in, no grades will be dropped.
10. SET RUNNING TOTAL OPTION
Select whether or not to have the weighted total calculate as a running total.
If set to Yes, the grades will be calculated to show the current total, excluding items that have not yet been graded. If set to Yes, make sure you input zeros for students as needed; otherwise, the running total will exclude those items and the total grade will be higher than it should be.
If set to No, the grades will start at zero and increase as you enter grades.
11. SET ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
Set the following options as desired:
- Include this Column in Grade Center Calculations: The grade for this item will be included in your Total column — change to No to exclude this column from the Total.
- Show this Column to Students: Set to Yes to make the column visible to students; set to No to make the column visible only to the instructor.
- Show Statistics for this column to Students in My Grades: Set whether or not students can see overall class statistics for this grade item.
12. SUBMIT
Click the Submit button to save your column settings.
Updated June 2019 by Katie Baer, M.Ed., Instructional Designer